Device for locking the thread carrier bars of flat knitting machines



April 29, 1941. F. CECKA I 2,239,810

DEVICE FOR LOCKING THE THREAD CARRIER BARS 0F FLAT KNITTING'IACHINES Filed. Jan. 13, 1946 S'Sheets-Sheet 1 Zm emmn- Frau/g Gee/6a.

WMM 525%;

' April 29, 1941. IF. CECKA DEVICE FOR LOCKING THE THREAD CARRIER BARS OF FLAT KNITTING IACHINES Filed Jan. 15, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 316 I I w 7 [m eflfw":

,Franj Gael (1,.

April 29, 1941. F. CECKA 2,239,310

DEVICE FOR LOOKING THE THREAD CARRIER B ARS 0F Fla AT KNITTING IACHINES I Filed Jan. 15, 1940 3 Sheet-Sheet 5 oooo ooomooooov fm enlor: 7 ,Franj C607t'a.

Patented Apr. 29, 1941 UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE I DEVICE FOR LOCKING THE THREAD CAR. RIER BARS OF FLAT KNITTING MA- CHINES Franz Cecka, Chemnitz, Germany, assignor to Schubert & Salzer Maschinenfabrik Aktiengesellschaft, Chemnitz, Germany Application January 13, 1940, Serial No. 313,771 In Germany December 21, 1938 1Claim.

The present invention relates to a device for locking the thread carrier bars of flat knitting machines.

The hitherto used devices for locking the thread carrier bars of flat knitting machines are so constructed that in the moment the thread carrier bars come into contact with the stop limiting their stroke all the thread carrier bars are locked, whereas all of them are released again as soon as. they are moved in opposite direction so that inoperative thread-carrier bars may be displaced under the action of vibrations of the machine.

positions of the front thread carrier bar in broken away side views,

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a device according Figs. 1-5, three carrierbars l are arranged in the machine in the usual manner. Fixed upon the end of each thread carrier bar is a locking block 2 which towards the end is provided with To obviate this drawback an electromagnetic control mechanism for the locking devices of the -thread carrier bars has been proposed by means of which some of the locking devices only are actuated in such a manner that the operative thread carrier bars only are'released in the moment of their movement.

Electrically controlled devices, however, are

not highly desired because dueto dust and dirtthe contacts may be rendered inoperative and the sources of defects may be excluded by skilled workmen only. Therefore, very often the machine must be stopped as such skilled labourers are not always available at once. A

According to the invention the object aimed at is obtained mechanically. For this purpose locking levers, influenced by pattern drums, drums carrying pins, pattern chains or the like, act upon the thread carrier bars in such a manner that the latter unimpededly reach the stops limiting their stroke in the direction towards said stops and are automatically locked by these stops in the position of contact with said stops, whereas the thread carrier bars continuing their operation only are released on movement in the opposite direction by actuation of the correspond-' ing locking levers according to pattern.

The device according to'the invention is particularly adapted for carrying out operations in whicha diiferent. thread carrier bar is actuated and a different thread is supplied in each row of loops.

In the accompanying drawings two constructions according to the invention are shown 'by way of example.

In these drawings: V, r

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a device according to the invention using a drum carrying pins actuating three thread carrier bars.

Fig.2 is a side view of the device shown in Fig. '1,

Figs. 3 to 5 illustrate three diiferent operative an inclination 3 and towards the other side with a curve-like locking face 4.

In a bearing block, not shown in the drawings and connected to the narrowing tackle, a shaft comprising arms I and 8 one for each thread carrier bar. The curve-shaped locking faces 4 5 andanother shaft 6 are journalled. Pivoted upon the shaft 5 are double-armed locking levers correspond to the shape of the front edgesof the lever arms I which are so formed as to continuously remain in contact with the locking faces during 'movement. Leaf springs 9 act upon .the lever arms 1.

Fixed upon the shaft 6 are a drum Ill carrying pins II and a feed disc l2. The lever arms 8 extend into the range of the pins ll carried by the drum It. A feed linkage l3 connected to the already mentioned bearing block not shown in the drawings carries a swingable pawl H which in the usual manner may be brought into an inoperative position and held in the operative position by a tension spring IS. The stroke of the thread carrier bars is limited by a stop It.

The operationof the device is as follows:

If the thread carrier bars are moved in the direction towards the stop I6 limiting their stroke they unimpededly reach the latter. If as shown in Fig. 3 the locking blocks 2 come into the range of the lever arms I the latter are lifted by the inclinations 3. In the position of contact shown in Fig. 4 the lever arms 'I of all the locking'levers under the action of the leaf springs 9 engage automatically behind the curve shaped locking faces 4 of the locking blocks 2 and lock all the thread carrier bars. The drum III carrying the pins ll then occupies a position in which the lever arms 8 of the locking levers are free of thepins of the pattern drum, i.'e. out of the range of these pins.

If the movement of the thread carrier bars is continued in opposite direction, the feed drum is fed by. lifting of the feed linkage. If a pin ll of the drum I 0 extends into the path of a lever arm 8 the latter is moved downwardly. The corresponding upward movement of the other lever arm 1 then causes release of the corresponding locking block 2 of the corresponding thread carrier bar as shown in Fig. 5, while all lever arms i, not influenced by pins ll, continue to look their thread carrier bars as shown in Fla. 2.

According to the construction shown in Figs. 6 and'lachaindrum l'lisflxedupontheshait i besides the feed disc l2. A chain ll provided with pins orstuds I9 is led around this chain drum and also about a tension roller 20 of a linka e 2| which is connected to the above mentioned bearing block not shown in the drawings.

All other elements oi this construction correspond to those shown in the construction described in detail above and therefore all these elements are designated by the same reference number as those shown in Figs. 1-5. The operation of the pins or studs I! of the chain drum I1 is the same as that of the pins ll carried by the drum l0.

What I claim is:

A device for locking the thread carrier bars of iiat knitting machines, comprising stops limitingthestrokeoisaidthreadcarrierbammeans operating according to pattern, double-armed locking levers influenced by said means operating according to pattern and acting upon said thread carrier bars, and springs acting upon said double-armed locking levers, the arrangement being such that said carrier bars unimpededly reach said stops limiting their stroke in the direction towards said stops and are auto-- matically locked by said levers in the position of contact with said stops, whereas said thread carrier bars continuing their operation only are released on movement in the opposite direction by influencing corresponding arms of said doublearmed locking levers according to pattern and a ainst the action of said springs, said locking blocks being fixed upon the ends of said thread carrier bars and having an inclination towards one end and a curve-like locking face at the other side corresponding in shape to the front edge of one of the arms of said double-armed locking levers.

FRANZ CECKA. 

